Come enjoy an evening of music next Saturday evening, September 1^st , at 6:30 when a Gospel Music Jam is scheduled at the Holdenville Lake Pavilion. You will enjoy the evening whether you join in or come over to see what it’s all about. It sounds like a great opportunity for soul singin’ and foot tappin’ so invite friends and family to come, too.

The next morning at 9:00 First Sunday Breakfast will be served in the fellowship hall—possibly by some bleary-eyed musicians still humming gospel songs from the previous evening’s music jam at the lake. The food will be delicious, though, so come get in line for a good old down-home breakfast.

This Sunday during the morning worship service, Joyce Searcy sang “I’ll Talk to the Father.” This song reminds us again that going to God in prayer first rather than as a last resort is the best way to help someone else or to find solutions to our own dilemmas. It is also the best way to fi nd direction for any other decisions we need to make.

James Hammonds was our guest speaker. He spoke on the topic of responsibility and took his text from Romans 15:1; 1^st John 3:16; James 2:13; and 2^nd Timothy 3:16.

When the word “responsibility” is taken apart and analyzed we can see that it means the ability to respond. We are to regard our response to the needs and requests of others as Jesus looks on our needs and requests.

Jesus was able to lay down his life for our sakes, and He did. That is a high standard to meet, and yet there are times and situations when people have to face whether they have the ability to respond to a situation by risking their life for others.

James 2:13 is a stern warning that our responding to the needs of others with mercy and compassion is evidence of our having received God’s mercy. Once we are saved, we have the privilege of being a part of God’s works of mercy and grace. He has missions of mercy planned for us, and we need to be faithful to accomplish them.

We can choose whether to respond to a situation in a positive or a negative way. God is love, and He has love and compassion for us all beyond our comprehension. Whether it is defending others from harm, simply helping out a neighbor, or taking responsibility to do what we can to help in any other situation, we often need to assess our ability to respond and then act accordingly. Seek the guidance you need in God’s Word.